Long French dispute with Wikipedia appears to end

PARIS (AP) — A long-running feud between French intelligence services and Wikipedia over an entry on "classified" information appears to be over after France's efforts to obscure details about a military installation backfired, instead turning it into an unexpected hit.

In June 2010, French intelligence services learned about the entry detailing a military installation in southern France that, according to the site, could be part of the chain of command for nuclear weapons orders. France's efforts to get the entry pulled — including interrogating the head of French Wikimedia twice — backfired. In April, the entry topped the French site's popularity ratings.

On Tuesday, Interior Minister Manuel Valls quietly released a statement on a parliamentary website saying there would be a government working group on the issue and praising Wikipedia's "lovely project."